In 1900, southeastern Florida included a few small towns with a population of 3,592 people. Throughout the 20th century, Miami and other nearby towns steadily grew. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the population of the Miami Metropolitan Statistical Area in 2016 was 6,066,387. In 1970, its population was listed as 1,267,792. In four and one-half decades, the population increased by over 378%.

The urban area of Miami and surrounding suburbs stand out sharply against the dark green wetlands in the Landsat series. The urban areas lie on a slightly higher ridge, 2 to 7 meters above sea level, to form a “backbone” of the heavily urbanized coast.

These images show urban development expanding on agricultural land north and west of Homestead. Homestead’s population grew from 13,674 in 1970 to 66,498 in 2015, an increase of 386%.